I wanted to return to the bush over doctors’ strike, says Museveni

President Museveni has castigated doctors for striking over low pay saying he is one of the public servants paid a low salary.Mr Museveni who captured power in 1986 after a five-year guerrilla war said doctors had provoked him into going back to the bush.

“A doctor who goes on a strike is not a doctor. He is an enemy of the people. In fact I wanted to go back to the bush, but some people! I do not want to hear that non sense. We freedom fighters have been working in Uganda for the last over 50 years, either for low pay or no pay. But I am here,” he said while presiding over national celebrations to commemorate Labour Day in Sembabule District on Tuesday.

Mr Museveni further noted that he earns a monthly salary of Shs 3.6 million which is relatively lower than what some public servants earn.“President of Uganda gets Shs3.6m, and even that Shs 3.6 million, I accepted it in 1986. I was getting Shs180,000 before that. Authority does not depend on salary. I have authority, although I am paid a low salary,” he added.

Last year, doctors went on a sit-down strike which started on November 6 and saw medical services in government aided hospitals paralysed with doctors listing a raft of demand s, including enhanced duty facilitation allowances, disbandment of the State House Health Monitoring Unit and a steady supply of sundries and other medical supplies in hospitals before they return to work.“Yes I wanted to bring Cuban doctors, because our own doctors behaved badly and unprofessionally,” Mr Museveni added on Tuesday.